"An emperor-has-no-clothes moment seems upon us" - Wash Post - Froomkin

[Pirate Smile]

Now They Tell Us

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, September 12, 2005; 1:33 PM

Judging from the blistering analyses in Time, Newsweek, and elsewhere these past few days, it turns out that Bush is in fact fidgety, cold and snappish in private. He yells at those who dare give him bad news and is therefore not surprisingly surrounded by an echo chamber of terrified sycophants. He is slow to comprehend concepts that don't emerge from his gut. He is uncomprehending of the speeches that he is given to read. And oh yes, one of his most significant legacies -- the immense post-Sept. 11 reorganization of the federal government which created the Homeland Security Department -- has failed a big test.

Maybe it's Bush's sinking poll numbers -- he is, after all, undeniably an unpopular president now. Maybe it's the way that the federal response to the flood has cut so deeply against Bush's most compelling claim to greatness: His resoluteness when it comes to protecting Americans.

But for whatever reason, critical observations and insights that for so long have been zealously guarded by mainstream journalists, and only doled out in teaspoons if at all, now seem to be flooding into the public sphere.

An emperor-has-no-clothes moment seems upon us.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

[Taxloss]

1. Good piece.

Recommended.

[Pirate Smile]

4. It has quotes from all the different articles - Newsweek, Time, NYT, WP,

and more - all on Bush, his leadership style and his reaction to Katrina - all slams.

[Taxloss]

6. Yeah, it's a good summary.

A pity they couldn't have found their testicles about four years ago.

[Pirate Smile]

9. Arrggghhh! It spells out the travesties the Republicans are playing out

with this tragedy. They continue to f#$k the American taxpayers and workers.


"Jonathan Weisman and Amy Goldstein write in The Washington Post: "After the political tidal wave of 1994 swept conservatives into control of Congress, Republicans doggedly tried -- and repeatedly failed -- to repeal a Depression-era law that requires federal contractors to pay workers the prevailing wages in their communities. Eleven days after the deluge of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush banished the requirement, at least temporarily, with the stroke of his pen. . . .

"In another gain for the administration, a $51.8 billion relief bill that Congress passed on Thursday included a significant change to federal contracting regulations. Holders of government-issued credit cards will be allowed to spend up to $250,000 on Katrina-related contracts and purchases, without requiring them to seek competitive bids or to patronize small businesses or companies owned by minorities and women. Before Thursday, only purchases of up to $2,500 in normal circumstances or $15,000 in emergencies were exempt."

-snip-
Yochi J. Dreazen writes in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required): "The Bush administration is importing many of the contracting practices blamed for spending abuses in Iraq as it begins the largest and costliest rebuilding effort in U.S. history.

"The first large-scale contracts related to Hurricane Katrina, as in Iraq, were awarded without competitive bidding, and using so-called cost-plus provisions that guarantee contractors a certain profit regardless of how much they spend."

Reuters reports: "Companies with ties to the Bush White House and the former head of FEMA are clinching some of the administration's first disaster relief and reconstruction contracts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bribri16]

61. The MSM is also naked! n/t

[Junkdrawer]

2. Translation: "Even WE can't find enough lipstick for this pig...

and God knows we've tried."

[faithnotgreed]

3. nominated - now here is my letter to mr froomkin

wonderful to see this compendium of some truths included with your online column

thank you mr froomkin

my one and consistently sad argument with the media is that this is the same bush from the beginning
he has been a puppet figure this entire time yet most of the public does/did not know this considering the cheerleading that has been and continues to be

how does standing on rubble with a bullhorn 3 days after the fact - including approx 11 hours when he couldnt even be located - equal leadership of any kind
i better not get started on recounting the falseness and criminality of this administration
but it is crucial to say that the media has largely been responsible for his reputation because if you truly look at his actions and his policies there would be no way the public would think he is anything other than the fraud he is

sadly there is no free and transparent media to illuminate that we do not have a free and transparent government
but i have given up thinking this is the job of the media; the job of the media that i know of is propaganda
thousands of people have died - in iraq alone - not to mention the war on those in poverty
not to mention the deep cronyism and corruption that is pervasive

the fact that it takes further tragedy and continued mistreatment of our citizens to awaken SOME in the media that we are all just means to an end
well that should haunt all of us to our last breath

if it hadnt been tragedy for all the world to see then i wonder who in the media would be newly "awakened"

thank you for your article; i do appreciate any truth when i see it

jude in washington dc

[HooptieWagon]

63. Very astute comments! eom

[jane_pippin]

5. Now they tell us? Are you kidding me?

Nice article but come on. There have been plenty of people screaming this for years and we all know it. Ask Molly Ivins about the Shrub. Use a time machine and ask her during his run for Gov. (Oh that's right, she's a crazy liberal and doesn't count. Gotcha.)

Sheesh. I'm glad people are waking up but good lord, I've never wanted to say "We told you so!" more in my entire life. But then, that would be poor form. GAH!

[Uncle Joe]

7. And let us not forget who covered the naked one

with fig leaves, or would that be playing the "blame game". Click on link for details.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4725427

[Nite Owl]

8. That felt good to read

but ya know we've been saying this since before '00. If the media learns one thing I would hope that is not to discount the left like they always do. It's a 'I told you so' moment for all of us but with all the damage that has been done to people not just in America but worldwide it sure is bittersweet.

[Digit]

10. Why slap my ass and call me Judy!

It is about time!

[catmandu57]

16. I thought it was slap my ass and call me nancy

Whatever, same result. Little by little the jin is oozing out of the bottle, some may get stuffed back in, but it's too late. I just hope somebody hides the football from this idjit*.

[triguy46]

11. Oh, but he is so, so resolute!!! I'm being protected!!!

He continues to make my 84 year old mother take her shoes off before getting on a plane!!! He isn't bending to reason, sanity or any other force that would interfere with his protecting us from militant senior citizens!!!!! I can assure you that I fully support * in keeping all of us safe from my 4'10" 85 pound Granny Bin Laden. For after all, by his reckoning, WE are the enemy!!

[0rganism]

12. After five years of imperial public nudity, it's too little too late

I blame the media whores. The abuses of this administration are almost entirely the creation of their uncritical ass-kissing whitewash coverage. The bushistas and congressional fascists behaved exactly as anyone with a brain could have predicted they would: careless, greedy, and utterly corrupt. It is ultimately the press that has truly failed to perform to expectations.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

56. You've expressed my sentiments...

...exactly. I'll express them again here with a picture:

http://www.karlandkinggeorge.com/No_Worries.html

[rniel]

13. we've had 55 'the emporer has no clothes moments'

I've heard it so many times I'm sick of it.

when are we going to impeach that bastard.

[TahitiNut]

14. "Special to washingtonpost.com" ... not their print edition.

Figures. :eyes:

[oxbow]

21. Yea, everybody who's gonna read this either knows already...

or they're a freeper and don't care. If everyone got their news from the net we would not be in this mess

[blm]

23. Exact same point I made in another thread. WP allows this type commentary

on its online pages, but, knows it won't hurt BushInc as long as it isn't in PRINT.

[glitch]

Moment? Try this century so far... it took FIVE YEARS for these sleeping

beauties to wake up. Ay carumba.

[TexanDem]

15. love the analogy! Wonder if they saw my comment? :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4731917&mesg_id=4732126

I've said this ever since Bush descended upon us! Let's hope this time there will be a real awakening of the pathetically gullible people that were so blinded by the propaganda machines!
Great article! recommending!

[musette_sf]

17. Sounds similar to the Capitol Hill Blue report

about Georgie Butch's abberant behavior. So it's TWUE, it's TWUE!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. but CHB is not a reliable source

yeah right, they just proved how much they had him on the goods

[oasis]

18. Rove's evil spell over the main stream media is rapidly wearing off .

[Initech]

20. Emperor has no clothes? More like emperor has no brains!

[melody]

31. everything below the hairline is suspect, in my opinion

[MsTryska]

22. He is slow to comprehend concepts that don't emerge from his gut.

I believe froomkin got this wrong.


that should read:

"He is slow to comprehend concepts that don't emerge from his ass."

[Inland]

24. The MSM moment "Hey---maybe we should admit Bush really DOES suck!"

What do they want, a cookie?

[tinrobot]

25. Bush... no clothes... ewwww!

Thanks for putting that horrid image in my head.

I agree, his cover is blown. The jig is up. He's toast.

[NightOwwl]

26. Quote: "BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON...

critical observations and insightsthat for so long have been zealously guarded by mainstream journalists, and only doled out in teaspoons if at all, now seem to be flooding into the public sphere."

:grr:

I want every one of these so-called journalists to explain to the American public:

WHY did they withhold this information?
WHEN did they make this decision to withold these facts?
WHAT was the reasoning behind their decision?

If they had done their jobs, who knows how many lives could have been saved. We should impeach them along with Bush!

[FreeStateDemocrat]

27. Damn right! That is not good enough, why did you whore for the SOB?

There is a deep underlying disconnect in our society that allows this type of information to be suppressed by the corporate media. Was it because this county was so shaken by 9/11 that the MSM felt is necessary to create the illusion that the idiot was a capable and forceful leader? But why did they go along the Iraqi War run up and allow the idiot to go unchallenged throughout the re-election cycle even endorsing him by way of the sleazy Swiftboating of Kerry? Why didn't the Democratic Party leadership take the gloves off and expose the idiot strenuously? Why does Bill Clinton today pimp for the bastard by saying that he personally likes the sleaze and does photo ops to help polish his tanked image? There are now too many other questions that should be addressed immediately by a responsible investigation of some very disquieting behavior from inside and outside the White House. All those terrible things that have been written about the idiot on DU are now being reported as true by the corporate media but why now after they have stonewalled it for so long? This flabbergasts me but perhaps I am over-reacting to the broad reporting of these revelations. I could use a little perspective on what is actually transpiring with this type of reporting.

[NightOwwl]

37. You are not over-reacting at all!

I think this is the first time someone in the media has admitted that MSM purposely withheld information that could be used to discredit Bushs' claims of strong leadership. They knew he was an incompetent fool and failed to report this information to the American people.

IMO, the defining moment was the infamous "My Pet Goat" episode. They had the video of Bush frozen in his chair, but all we saw was a still picture of Bush receiving the news from Andrew Card. I remember everyone (DUers not included) raving about how serious and in control the pResident looked. They had the means to show us our "leader" was in reality a scared, incompetent fool, but they chose to hide that tiny detail from us.

So back to my main point...no...you aren't over-reacting one bit. And like you, I want to know more...much more.

[melody]

28. an arrogant, snappish, cold, effete multi-millionaire right-winger..

Whodda thought it?

I am reminded, more and more, of Jimmy Carter's tale of turning over State Secrets (the stuff only passed from President to President) to Ronald "Jellybean" Reagan. One can imagine Bill Clinton will have a similar terrifying tale, if we survive Bush's "Presidency".

[soleft]

29. Doesn't this give credence to those Cap Hill Blue Reports

The one that got posted here five zillion times and five zillion times people shot it down, for good reason, but now it looks like it's being coroborated.

[Lochloosa]

30. This is the one that really pisses me off!

But for whatever reason, critical observations and insights that for so long have been zealously guarded by mainstream journalists, and only doled out in teaspoons if at all, now seem to be flooding into the public sphere.

And what of Clinton's "observations and insights" were critically guarded?

Assholes...

[flpoljunkie]

35. He is readily admitting the M$M has protected Bush. Utterly disgusting!

And totally unprofessional. My God, who are these folks--surely they are not journalists. They do not deserve the name.

[Spider Jerusalem]

32. Chrst. Hitler in the fucking bunker.

"Oh, no...we must not tell der Führer the truth about the war in the East. It will make him very unhappy. No, we tell him our armies are winning magnificent victories, and hope he doesn't notice that every battle is a little closer to Berlin. He is taking this drug, it is called "amphetamine", and it makes him prone to terrible fits of temper. If you told him the truth, he would have you shot. Better to lie, for your own sake."

An angry paranoid, surrounded by sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear. He manages to make Nixon look good in comparison.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. kick

[Seansky]

34. The MSM is the most responsible

of the accomplices that convinced the country that the emperor had clothes... How useless it is for MSM now to see the naked emperor...

[donkeyotay]

36. Fool me 900 times, shame on..... uh..... uh.......uh....

Oh, I've got it! SHAME ON THE MEDIA. You've been zealously guarding - for whatever reason - your critical observations and insights since 1999????

[applegrove]

38. More "BUSH is just dumb" spin. And Karl & Cheney were out of town.

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Would be nice, but THEY ARE STILL WHORING FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

The Wash Post reported that Gov Blanco did not declare a state of emergency and that is what held up relief. A lie, of course, and one they admit was a "tip" from one of those "senior WH officials," presumably an intimate of Rove. Now of course they could have fact-checked any number of places; all the documents and discussions were on the internet and Blanco's office could have been called. But no, they went with that lying "senior WH oficial," even with all the history of Rove lies on every other issue.

They did post a retraction - not a story but a tiny sentence that almost no one will see. It's not with the story in the print version, of course, but appears in a tiny, easily missed box just above the online version of the article. The lie is still the most easily seen version.

This is just more of Poodle Press licking those WH Guccis as usual. Anyone who tells you that's all in the past is either indulging in wishful thinking or is lying too. Just like with all the big, blasting stories about Iraq having WMDs and Saddam planning the 9/11 attacks--the retractions are so late and so hidden, most Americans STILL believe WH lying propaganda disseminated by their obedient, sniveling Poodle Press.

Here's a thread about the shameful WaPo printed lie smearing Gov Blanco, falsely stating that she prevented hurricane relief by failing to call for a state of emergency:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4748555

In my view, some of the blood of the victims in the hurricane aftermath, as well as that of people who died on both sides in Iraq, is on the hands of those pliant, WH-serving news editors and reporters. If they had exposed what was going on with FEMA, shown the political hacks taking over crucial government agencies for what they are, shown the sorry excuse for a man the posturing fraud Bush really is, if they had just TOLD THE TRUTH these past years, those people might well still be alive. So I believe these "happy-happy" stories of how the Poodle Press has seen the light as last are self-serving ass-covering. I'll believe it when the track record shows it. And not before.

[RBHam]

40. boot

nt

[Greylyn58]

41. I hope these kinds of reports continue

to come out and inform the rest of the nation--even if it is information the rest of us have known for some time. Let's hope the great media awakening will continue and carry us through the elections next year.

I think this quote from the Newsweek piece is the most telling:

"Late last week, Bush was, by some accounts, down and angry. But another Bush aide described the atmosphere inside the White House as 'strangely surreal and almost detached.' At one meeting described by this insider, officials were oddly self-congratulatory, perhaps in an effort to buck each other up. Life inside a bunker can be strange, especially in defeat."

I'm sure Hitler(and his gang)thought the same thing while he waited for the end inside his bunker too.

[woodenrobot]

42. An excellent article

I've been watching the US media with baited breath ever since the hurricane struck. For the first week at least, it seemed that it was growing some semblance of a backbone, and I can only pray that it stays that way. Even Fox was getting a little confrontational.

I have a horrid feeling that the (absurd) rationalisations that have come from the Republican faithful over the past few weeks may creep in to become the official position that the media espouses and it'll be back to business as usual.

An emperor-has-no-clothes moment will have to be sustained for some time, rather than just last for a month or so in the aftermath of Katrina and then be forgotten by the famously short memory of the American media machine.

[Pirate Smile]

43. Hi woodenrobot, Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[woodenrobot]

47. Thanks

Thought I'd start here by commenting on an article that's hopefully going to be a precedent for how the media are going to act in the future.

[newyawker99]

48. Hi woodenrobot!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[emrenz]

44. We're seeing some cracks...

I had heard a very similar story a few weeks ago. It also mentioned that Bush has such a disdain for the media that he is fond of flipping them the bird, and did so quite often as Governor.

It seems to me there is nothing more frightening then a powerful man surrounded by "yes" men who eventually loses sight of "right" from "wrong" because no one will tell him when he is wrong. Bush has been looking at the world through rose colored glasses (provided by his handlers)since he took office, but now the rosiest lens can't shield his eyes from the glare of the chaos he's created.

[woodenrobot]

49. That reminds me

of the use of - ahem - "Free Speech Zones" at the New York RNC.

I'm sure GWB is convinced that everyone in the US, or indeed the rest of the world, likes him. A reasonable assumption, given the fact he's not going to see anything different, thanks to the handlers he has.

[emrenz]

52. Fartin' in his boxers...

...the man lives in a fantasy world, completely sheltered from reality. He proudly admits to NOT watching the news, and NOT reading the newspaper, instead opting to get his information from his staff. How much more filtered can your information get?

With the free speech zones and his hand-picked audiences it's a wonder he doesn't walk around unshaven, belching and farting in his boxers. He must feel he can do no wrong.

[sinkingfeeling]

45. Love this line..."Undeniably an unpopular president now". Sing it

from the roof tops!!

[savemefromdumbya]

53. Greatest danger to the planet

great line - the media are unleashed (for now)

[Ishoutandscream2]

46. How long have we known this? What took you so long, MSM?

Blood is on your hands, too. At least, you guys are doing something about it now.

[savemefromdumbya]

50. 9/11 saved him last time - what will save him this time......or

If 9/11 hadn't been executed then he would have been had difficulty. Only the Diebold voting machines saved him in 2004

[drone]

51. beware

I have never listened to one of his speeches or apperance. When people seem to have a phony smile when they are talking I become cautious

[ProudDad]

54. We need a disobedient people!

"Case in point: Nikki Davis Maute

<http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS05/509110304>

writes in the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American: "Shortly after Hurricane Katrina roared through South Mississippi knocking out electricity and communication systems, the White House ordered power restored to a pipeline that sends fuel to the Northeast.

"That order - to restart two power substations in Collins that serve Colonial Pipeline Co. - delayed efforts by at least 24 hours to restore power to two rural hospitals and a number of water systems in the Pine Belt. . . .

"Dan Jordan, manager of Southern Pines Electric Power Association, said Vice President Dick Cheney's office called and left voice mails twice shortly after the storm struck, saying the Collins substations needed power restored immediately."

-----------------------------------

The only effective long-term way to fight this right-wing takeover is for people to recognize it for what it is. If I had been the manager who got Cheney's fucking voice mails and knew that my choice was between restoring service to hopitals and water system or to oil pipelines, I WOULD HAVE RESTORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE not the fucking oily-garchs.

When a critical mass of the people of this country have developed that sense of disobedience to the power, then we'll have the revolution we need.

:nuke:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

55. clink clink shatter.. the sound of many scalls falling from.....

from freepers eyes?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

57. re-post gor graphic......

[ElsewheresDaughter]

58. re-post gor graphic......

[ElsewheresDaughter]

59. re-post for graphic......

[West Coast Democrat]

60. Has Cokie started referring to him as the "very unpopular president"....?

I don't listen to NPR news anymore because I couldn't stand Cokie's constant "very popular president" lie.

[drone]

62. npr

I stopped listening to NPR some time ago. It was reminding me of a right wing broad cast. Guess it took them 5 years to figure out they were in the wrong end of the court.

[Trevelyan]

65. Where have these people gone??

FEMA is refusing to reveal to aid groups the locations of thousands of citizens forced out of their homes by "Hurrican Charley", citing "privacy restrictions".

original news source:
FEMA Rule Blocking Aid to Seniors - www.heraldtribune.com

Some elderly citizens forced out of their homes by Hurricane Charley are missing out on vital help, including meals, transportation and in-home care, because federal officials won't tell government aid groups where they are.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has temporarily relocated thousands of Charlotte County residents -- many of them senior citizens -- whose homes were destroyed or seriously damaged by the Aug. 13 storm. But, citing federal privacy protection rules, the agency has refused to say who has been relocated, or where they've been sent.

Travis and other officials said their complaints to FEMA officials have gone nowhere. But in response to an inquiry about the problem Tuesday, FEMA deputy federal coordinating officer Brad Gair vowed to find a way to ensure hurricane victims' privacy while getting them access to services.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Where have these people gone??

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread167902/pg9

[Kurovski]

66. " he is, after all, undeniably an unpopular president now."

That still didn't stop a cable news outlet (CNN?) from saying that his numbers are rising.

It went up ONE POINT in the poll! His approval is rising--one point!

A statistical blip, the margin of error.

Good-bye George. Go. Go now, so that history will at least record that you weren't COMPLETELY delusional.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about the wide and long swath of criminality and the resulting incompetence you and yours have left in your wake.

That's what prisons are for. Dems aren't soft on crime at all, and hopefully you will be learning that first hand.